scussing such a matter with him or--any of them.
When my mind is made up, I shall tell him; that is all."

He rose as though the matter were ended; but Honor had no mind to let
him shut the door upon it--yet.

"It is strange that you can speak so," she said, "when you must know,
better than any one, what your leaving the regiment would mean--to
Major Wyndham."

"Yes--I know," he answered quietly, and the pain in his eyes made her
half regret her own daring. "The only two big difficulties in the way
are my father--and Paul."

"_I_ see a whole army of others almost as big."

"That is only because you are always in sympathy with the man's point
of view."

"A matter like this _ought_ to be looked at first and foremost from
the man's point of view. The truth is, Theo, that you have simply
appealed to me in the hope of having your own Quixotic notion
confirmed. You want me to say, 'Yes, go; you will be doing quite
right.' And--think what you will of me--I flatly refuse to say it!"

He regarded her for a few seconds in an admiring silence, the smile
deepening in his eyes. Then:

"Don't you think you are a little hard on me?" he said at length. "It
is not altogether easy to do--this sort of thing."

Honor made no immediate reply, though the strongest chords of her
being vibrated in response to his words. Then she rose also, and stood
before him; her head tilted a little upwards; her candid eyes resting
deliberately upon his own. Standing thus, at her full height, she
appeared commandingly beautiful, but in the stress of the moment the
fact counted for nothing with either of them. All the hidden forces of
her nature were set to remove the dogged line from his mouth; and he
himself, looking on the fair outward show of her, saw only a mind
clear as crystal, lit up by the white light of truth.

For an instant they fronted one another--spirits of equal strength.
Then Honor spoke.

"If I _do_ seem hard on you, it is only because I want, above all
things, to convince you that your idea is wrong from every point of
view. You have paid me a very high compliment to-day. I want you to
pay me a still higher one: to believe that I am speaking the simple
truth, as I see it, from a woman's standpoint, not merely trying to
save you from unhappiness. May I speak out straight?"

"As plainly as you please, Honor. Your opinion will not be despised, I
promise you."

"Well, then--is it fair on Evelyn to make her upbringing responsib